Into the Fold

In the morning the sun hits the goat room wall just so …

… and notice who is tucked in there with his kid friends?

Little Grey is back in the fold of the goat herd.

It was very gratifying to see him romping around with his buddy BB this afternoon.

That little ear in the background? That’s Little Grey.

The ewes and their lambs all got to return to the outdoor sunshine today.

So much fun to see 27 little lambs all cavorting around the barnyard!

Seems that the ewe I began to think of as ‘Disney’ is either not pregnant or has another month or so to go …

Back at our place the jennies were pleased to help eat up the brush we had cut. The lilac buds are especially tasty.

Ever thumb wrestled? You know … one … two … three … you tap your thumbs and then pin down your opponent? This is Rosie and Bella’s version of ‘nose wrestling’! 😉

First daffodils opened this morning.

Welcome spring sunshine!

Love the tiny crocus blooms in the woods.

You have to really look to see the whisper of purple from any distance.

Got the winter hay bed all forked out from under the shelter. As each layer melts and dries I fork it into the Bully … and then fork it into the manure bin. See – donkeys are a great fitness program.

Little Grey is officially one of the herd again. Thank you Cari for letting us be his foster home for a while. What a great experience. For two ‘old girls’ who had never met a goat before we sure were smitten quickly. I know … how could you not be smitten with a little face like that. We enjoyed it all – learning to feed him a bottle – learning to recognize his little bleats (which turned into healthy robust bleats as he got stronger) – teaching him to navigate around the house – letting him fall asleep in our arms – making him feel safe with cuddles and gentle nose rubs – watching him learn to hop and leap – and then feeling the angst of wondering if he was ready to ‘go’ (more like were we ready for him to go). He is more a part of the group now that he is familiar to them. It was gratifying to visit him this afternoon and see him enjoying his buddy BB.

Next week I will continue to help by managing the noon feeding for the two of them. Lambing season is over at the Tryon farm. Twenty-seven lambs born this spring. I think ten goats … that I can count… although that may only be the dwarf goats… What I do know for sure is that it is a busy time of year for people running farms. I had a bucket of fun helping out!

Back at our place the sun brought out the first daffodil blooms. The crocuses have been open for a couple of days. The bird song is raucous out there. We worked away at clearing brush from the woods and hilltop – blown down or chewed down over the winter. I made a real dent in clearing out the hay bed from under the shelter. It sure was a great addition for the jennies. I’ve learned to haul it out of there and let it dry up some in the sun. It is a lot easier to fork into the Bully when it is not soaking wet!

What a great day … all is well in this corner of the world.